Posted on 10/02/2025 6:03:25 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. -- Jaytona Lockhart is living on the streets of Madison.
"I'm not gonna be homeless too long, you know what I'm saying? It's just for a season," he said. "I work myself into getting some resources to help me find some housing."
Lockhart and others facing housing insecurity watch as the Dairy Drive tiny homes and the Veteran's Museum homeless encampment are shut down and the permanent men's shelter on the city's east side is built, all changing the landscape of homelessness in the community and highlighting a growing problem.
"We have teams of providers that go out and count people who are staying in places not meant for human habitation," said Homeless Services Consortium of Dane County's Care Coordinator Torrie Kopp Mueller.
The consortium does an annual point-in-time count. This January, providers identified 790 people experiencing homelessness.
"We know that it's an undercount because we can't find everyone," said Kopp Mueller.
With the exception of 2021, that's the highest number in ten years.
"Our point-in-time count has been increasing," she said. "During Covid, we saw a huge influx of resources and our numbers went down. We had a lot of money to prevent homelessness so people could stay in their homes. And then we also had a lot of money to help people exit homelessness."
When the American Rescue Plan Act--or ARPA--was adopted by Congress in 2021, Dane County got $106 million. $30 million of it went to housing-related services, in the form of eviction prevention, hotel sheltering, the tiny home project and shelter operations.
"That was millions and millions of dollars that came to the city and the county to support people to remain in their homes," said Kopp Mueller.
All those funds had to be allocated by Dec 31., 2024 and must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
"Those funds are ending," said Kopp Mueller.
"They cut a lot of stuff," said Lockhart. "It's tight on the money right now and a lot of the resources."
So beyond that, what's left? News 3 Now sat down with Dane County Executive Melissa Agard to find out.
"We invest, an awful lot of dollars and staff, in ensuring that we are out there trying to meet the needs of folks in our community," said Agard.
According to Dane County Human Services, the county provides $5.2 million annually toward housing and homeless services. It's the second-largest funder behind the federal government, which provides $6.6 million. All other sources provide less than $2 million.
Without the $30 million in ARPA funds, that leaves Dane County with just around $15 million to address homelessness.
The number is comparable to counties of similar population in the Midwest.
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Dane County got $106 million. $30 million of it went to housing-related services, in the form of eviction prevention, hotel sheltering, the tiny home project and shelter operations.
"That was millions and millions of dollars that came to the city and the county to support people to remain in their homes," said Kopp Mueller.
All those funds had to be allocated by Dec 31., 2024 and must be spent by Dec. 31, 2026.
That's ONE County in ONE State! Where is all that Covid money, now - Nationwide? Whose pockets did it line? (Rhetorical!) And there are STILL homeless people living on the streets of Madistan? After blowing through $106 Million?
106 million and 790 homeless. That’s more than $134,000 for each homeless person. That will cover renting a room for about 10 years. Problem solved.
Then ask the same question at the county level.
Bottom line - these COVID grants should be reported on just like the NFP's have to report; if you're lucky 30% was actually spent on the intended purpose, and the rest padded government payrolls.
When all of this spending is done, there will be an employment crisis for social workers and people who write specialized excel macros for reimbursement in the programs.
Election fraud is NOT free, ya know!!!
The federal government should not be funding housing.
Every state has land, lumber and stone to build affordable housing.
As for DC, people doing work for the federal government should having housing priority.
Most of the money goes to Leftist operators “managing” the programs and to contractors providing “services”.
Down the street there is a garage that has been converted into a granny flat that a relative of the main house occupants can occupy.
Go to an RV place.
Rather small living spaces can actually be quite nice.
Small one-story terrace houses could be built on the outskirts of a town that bus service to Madison could be provided for.
The government might be better off putting its millions into sewer line extensions.
$15 MILLION FOR 790 HOMELESS?
THAT IS ALMOST $19,000 per person.
OUTRAGEOUS-—
ARE THERE ANY DEMANDS THAT THEY CLEAN UP THEIR DRUG/ALCOHOL USAGE-—GET SOME BASIC SKILLS & BECOME HIREABLE?
THE MADISON LIBERALS ARE NOT USEFUL.
1. “you know what I’m saying?”
No, we don’t know what you are saying.
2. F Madison/Dane County.
Where did the other $76,000,000 go?
L
And it costs 76 million dollars to spend 30 million dollars. Yay government.
And sorry Jaytania. You’re not a good American. The illegal Alien is the new good American who gets the welfare now. Your vote can already be counted on for the democrats no matter how crappy they make things. The illegals are needed to keep those same democrats in power.
Maybe we should stop paying for illegals and just take care of Americans?
I keep telling my Mom that there’s plenty of room in the chicken coop for her when necessary. ;)
“Election fraud is NOT free, ya know!”
Oh, so THAT’S how we ended up with an ART TEACHER as Governor two terms in a row! ;)
He’s not running again. This election cycle is going to be one for the ages. Already 12 Socialist Democrats ready to throw away gobs of cash in their primary, and one good and one fair Republican.
The Pubbies need to keep it to TWO and no more! We blew it the last time with all the in-fighting and backstabbing.
“The federal government should not be funding housing.”
Neither should the States for that matter.
Poor Houses, Debtor’s Prisons, Mental Hospitals, Churches and other Bleeding Hearts used to do just fine finding food, clothing and shelter for the crazies and the indigent bums.
I will draw the line for Veterans; we OWE them the help that they need to get it together. WAY too many homeless Vets out there and lots of homeless female Vets with kids in tow these days.
There but for the Grace of God go I!
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